After the Bengals' Family Day practice at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium, they'll take Sunday off before embarking on preparation for their first preseason game Thursday (8 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in Kansas City….
Talk about not leaving any stone unturned, at Friday evening's practice head coach Marvin Lewis had the club go through the pregame warmups they'll do a half-hour before the kickoff against the Chiefs…
A glance at Lewis' first depth chart reveals no major or even minor surprises. Fourth-round pick Russell Bodine is the starting center backed up by Trevor Robinson, Clint Boling is the left guard backed up by Mike Pollak and Wallace Gilberry is the starting right end book-ended with Carlos Dunlap on the left.
The vets are going to get the benefit of the doubt with BenJarvus Green-Ellis backing up Giovani Bernard at running back and second-round pick Jeremy Hill running third team.
It does reflect that they expect no major injuries. Marvin Jones (ankle) has yet to practice, but he's starting opposite A.J. Green at wide receiver with Mohamed Sanu, in the middle of a monster camp, backing up Green. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins (ACL) and left tackle Andrew Whitworth (calf) also haven't practiced yet and are starters...
No fullback slot is listed, so the candidates are backup tight ends and H-Backs. One veteran is running third team with Danieal Manning backing up George Iloka and Shawn Williams at strong safety. Cornerback Adam Jones is backing up Tate in punt returns and wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher is backing up Tate at kick returns. Sanzenbacher is also the third punt returner.
The NFL officials who worked the last couple of Bengals' practices while briefing the club on this year's points of emphasis have left the building.
But before Saturday's Family Day practice left tackle Andrew Whitworth was still wondering how they can officiate in the offensive line a rule change that stipulates any kind of contact to the face is a foul instead of hands to the face for a prolonged time.
"I asked them why the rule change was made and they said for safety and physical advantage and I've got two problems with that," Whitworth said.
The first problem he sees is defensive line technique that teaches linemen to swat away the hands of the offensive linemen. If the O-lineman's hands are swatted into the D-lineman's face, there has been no intention of trying to get an advantage.
But what really bothers Whitworth is the new breed of pass rusher that uses their helmets as battering rams. He compared it to last year's rule change that prevented running backs from hitting defenders with the crown of their helmets while outside the tackle box.
"It's the same exact thing," Whitworth said. "The James Harrisons and the shorter more powerful rushers, that's all they do is drop their helmet and use it as a weapon. Now you're putting me in a physical disadvantage because now if I can't stick my hand out and stop somebody from stopping somebody who's dropping the crown of the helmet on me, I have to just eat it in the face.
"Look at O-lineman's concussions, that's where they come from, the crowning of the helmet. If we're going to protect defensive players from the crowning of running backs' helmets, then why aren't you going to protect the offensive line from the crowning off defense's helmets?"
